Book summary

In Cokie Roberts's illuminating book on women in early American history, we would expect to find Martha Washington and Abigail Adams. But now we also know about Catherine Littlefield Green, whose idea for the cotton gin was apparently purloined by Eli Whitney, and Ben Franklin's wife, Deborah, whose coping skills during her busy husband's long absences included fending off violent mobs who objected to the Stamp Act. TV journalist Roberts retrieves these and many other unsung women from the dustbin of history, showing how they influenced the lives and actions of their husbands and sons, and exploring the impact they had on the creation of America.

Media reviews

"FOUNDING MOTHERS is essentially a series of entertaining minibiographies and engaging vignettes."